All executives and leaders desire to promote innovation in their departments and companies. The way to think about innovation is, however, unclear. The real challenge they face is not what to do about promoting innovation, but how to think about the subject. Being talented, once the ways of thinking about innovation are settled in their mind, future leaders get adept at figuring out how they might go about implementing some ideas. It is a long journey, but the first step is always hesitant. This master class addresses some of these issues.

The master class…….

1. There will be two 90 minute sessions. The first session will address what are the barriers and myths surrounding innovation. The second session will elucidate the triggers and the teasers around innovation. Sessions will tend to be anecdotal and real-life. There will be a few presentation slides, but the sessions will have enough porosity to draw participants into discussion and to narrate issues/experiences.
2. Session 1 on ‘Barriers and Myths’: Innovation ideas and concepts—Innovation myths—Big bang versus small steps—Jugaad, Gambiarra, Zuzhu Chuang Xin and Kluge (Apollo 13 video) —Growth and fixed mind-sets (Carol Dweck video) and culture setting.
3. Session 2 on ‘Triggers and Teasing’: Innovation realities—the inverted triangles—Frugal is not about less features (Swach video)—Dare to try organisational system—generating a movement (Dandi video. Both the sessions will rely on stories and anecdotes to strengthen awareness of self-evident of learning.

Benefits:

• Each participant will certainly have at least a few personal takeaways which he/ she will be determined to think about.
• The act of thinking about innovation as a basic leadership deliverable will trigger the desire to learn more and develop an individual plan of action.
• Expected outcomes are (i) Inspiration: we too can do it. (ii) Curiosity: how should we go about it. (iii) Balance: imagination versus execution
• This content of this program has been delivered over the last five years to practising managers and students of management. Therefore the content has been tested and refined, based on these experiences.
• Much of the content of this masterclass has been derived from the articles and books written by Gopal. Gopal’s CV is attached to this concept note.

The post Innovation Barriers and Triggers appeared first on The MindWorks.

Overview:

A career in business management is like a traveller’s journey. Travellers learn best by interacting with fellow travellers about their individual moves through the various phases:

Initially, from being a “doer of things” to becoming a “manager of people”.
Thereafter, from being a “manager of people” to becoming a “leader of ideas”.
Finally, from a “leader of ideas” to becoming a “shaper of Institutions”.

This journey requires a person to transit from swimming in the ‘known problemknown solution’ shallow waters to the deep, swirling currents of the ‘unknown problem-unknown solution’ ocean. During this journey, the traveller confronts some typical questions such as:

Am I really doing what I enjoy doing? What is my ‘purpose’?
How can I better learn lessons, which are inherently difficult to teach?
How can I learn by reflecting on my experiences?
What is the impact of my relationships on others?
Do I have faults which may affect my career progress?

The ability to become self-aware and to find answers to these questions helps successful executives to avoid getting derailed by their own follies and foibles, which are referred to as ‘psychological toxins’.

The master class……..

• There will be two 90 minute sessions. Concepts such as the ‘Bonsai Manager’, the ‘Clementine Mirror’ and the ImOpCoRe cycle will be touched upon.
• During the first 90 minute session, through a presentation and an interaction mode, Gopal will recount the characteristics of the journey and bring out the importance of purpose, self awareness and human relationships.
• During the second 90 minute session, Gopal will touch upon why smart people end up doing stupid things and discuss how to become aware of the possibility in one’s own case.
• In both these sessions, Gopal will rely on anecdotes/ narratives from three sources: his personal career experience, published stories from the business world and relevant anecdotes from general history.
• The master class is not intended to be instructional. It is intended to be reflective and inspirational. After all, the programme is aimed at top level people who are in a very important part of their career journey.

Benefits

• Each participant will certainly have at least a few personal takeaways which he/ she will be determined to think about.
• The act of thinking about individual issues will trigger the desire to learn more and develop an individual plan of action. It is likely that the positive effects of this 3 hour session would resemble the physical and mental benefits that a three hour yoga/ ayurveda session has on the body and on the mind.
• This content of this program has been delivered in a twelve hour format over the last five years to practising managers and students of management. Therefore the content has been tested and refined, based on these experiences.
• Much of the content of this masterclass has been derived from the books written by Gopal, whose CV is attached to this concept note.

The post Managers to Transformers appeared first on The MindWorks.

Overview:

All management practitioners and books will assert that the basic job of a manager is to get work done through others. Logically human skills should be the most important skill set of the manager. In a volatile, uncertain, complex, uncertain world of business these days, how well set are the human skills of the manager?

The data is shocking. There is data to suggest that indeed the best way to navigate through turbulent times is to do the ‘right things’ in terms of human relations. Further data suggests that the human skills of leading are declining very rapidly—from the older generation to the younger generation, from boss to subordinate, from one team to another. In fact some of the data points to a serious failure in precisely the most basic skill for which one would employ a manager–and all this in a business world where these virtues are eulogized constantly.

How can a modern manager return to the basics of his job? It is a bit like how can a doctor or lawyer learn the basics of his job better.

The master class……..

• There will be two 90 minute sessions. Five key ideas will be explored, three in the first session and two in the second.
• During the first 90 minute session, a key idea of how to make a management nimble will be discussed through the survey results of several CEOs. Thereafter two more key ideas of how to create the conditions for employees to succeed in their job and how to increase the engagement of employees will be explored.
• During the second 90 minute session, Gopal will explore the connection between happy employees and successful organisations. What is a ‘happy’ employee? He will then touch upon the fifth key idea, based on his own book, of what the role of employees is in securing their happiness and success.
• In both these sessions, Gopal will rely on anecdotes/ narratives from three sources: his personal career experience, published stories from the business world and relevant anecdotes from general history.
• The master class is not intended to be instructional. It is intended to be reflective and inspirational. After all, the programme is aimed at experienced people who are in a very important part of their career journey.
• Each participant will certainly have at least a few personal takeaways which he/ she will be determined to think about.
• The act of thinking about individual issues will trigger the desire to learn more and develop an individual plan of action. It is likely that the positive effects of this 3 hour session would be that participants would deeply reflect on their own style of human relations, and find out how their leadership style can improve.
• This content of this program has been delivered in a twelve hour format over the last five years to practising managers and students of management. Therefore the content has been tested and refined, based on these experiences. This master class is a three hour adaptation of the twelve hour content, designed for busy, mid to senior career managers.
• Much of the content of this masterclass has been derived from the books written by Gopal. Gopal’s CV is attached to this concept note.

The post Putting Humans Back In to Relationships appeared first on The MindWorks.

Executives intuitively know that their own experiences are their best teachers, more so than all the teachers they might meet at professional courses. Professional teachers are very valuable insofar as they help the manager to reflect and learn from personal experiences. There is a method to the acts of reflection and learning. This masterclass introduces the participants to one such method. The method involves presentation and discussion on four related aspects:

What is the purpose of a career?
What is the influence of context in judgment?
How important is self-awareness in the leadership journey?
How can a leader manage self-demons?

he master class…….

• There will be two 90 minute sessions. The first session will address the first two issues written above. The second session will address the latter two issues above.
• During the first session, through presentation and discussion, Gopal will define what purpose is. Through the lessons of a case study, the energising force that purpose is will be brought out. Through the story of the film, Rashomon, the importance of context will be developed.
• During the second 90 minute session, Gopal will touch upon the increasing importance of self-awareness as one rises in the organisation: that every leader has a clear career enemy, that is, himself or herself! The physiological body has bacteria and toxins, some good and some bad. Likewise the psychological self has psycho-toxins, some good and some bad.
• Both the sessions will rely on stories and anecdotes to strengthen awareness of self-evident of learning.

Benefits:

• Each participant will certainly have at least a few personal takeaways which he/ she will be determined to think about.
•  The act of thinking about individual issues will trigger the desire to learn more and develop an individual plan of action. It is likely that the positive effects of this 3 hour session would resemble the physical and mental benefits that a three hour yoga/ ayurveda session has on the body and on the mind.
• This content of this program has been delivered in a twelve hour format over the last five years to practising managers and students of management. Therefore the content has been tested and refined, based on these experiences.
• Much of the content of this masterclass has been derived from the books written by Gopal. Gopal’s CV is attached to this concept note.

The post Reflective Leadership appeared first on The MindWorks.